


The Bestest

by allofthepixels



Series: Bestest 'Verse [4]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Babysitting, Bestest 'Verse, Cutie pies, M/M, Rain, Tickling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-04
Updated: 2015-02-04
Packaged: 2018-03-10 11:57:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,301
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3289472
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/allofthepixels/pseuds/allofthepixels
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cas loves his cousins, he really does. He just loves them more when they’re quietly behaving at family dinners. One rainy day brings on a new game that eventually gets his boyfriend involved.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Bestest

**Author's Note:**

> This was the first time I dipped my feet into this 'verse, but chronologically hung out somewhere in the middle.

Castiel really needed the money. He kept reminding himself that as his three little cousins circled him, wailing and screaming throughout the day.

“Mikey stole my book,” the middle child, a 9-year-old aptly named Lucifer, screeched at his pant leg. “Make him give it back.”

“It’s my book, Luke just has a complex,” Michael, the oldest child at 10, sighed from his perch on the couch, spouting yet another phrase he must’ve learned from late-night Court TV.

“There won’t be anything complex about your face when I’m done with it,“ Lucifer threw himself forward onto the arm of the couch, wrapping his legs around his brother’s neck.

“Oh! You’re so mature!” Michael shrugged his shoulders back, sending his brother crashing in a heap on the floor.

“Boys, please!” Cas pinched the bridge of his nose. He loved his little cousins. He really did. He just loved them more when they were quietly sitting on the opposite side of the room during family dinners.

He felt something vibrate in his pocket, taking a glimpse to see the contact photo of his boyfriend, green eyes grinning into the camera as Cas kissed his cheek. The two had been dating for the last few months. Cas knew it was silly and would absolutely never say it out loud, but he still felt butterflies when he received daily texts. Whether they were funny photos of things he’d seen at his lifeguarding job or cute little texts asking about his day, it made things infinitely better to hear from him.

“Cassie’s got a boyfriend,” Lucifer stood on the couch cushion, peaking at the photo that flashed onto the screen. He sang the phrase a few more times to the tunes of various nursery rhymes.

“Duh. You know Dean, dummy,” Michael rolled his eyes. “Stop making a scene.”

Before World War III broke out, Cas tried to redirect with a less violent activity.

“Why don’t we pack up our snack and go to the park? Just help Gabe get his shoes on,” Cas loved to just set the kids free in the fenced in area of the town park. They could burn off their energy and the remaining daylight hours and Cas could regain a bit of sanity.

“Gabe’s lost.” Luke deadpanned eyes still bright with mischief.

“What do you mean he’s lost?” Cas tried to count to ten. How could he have lost the 4-year-old? His Uncle Chuck wasn’t a very intimidating man, but he was fiercely protective of his children. Cas didn’t even want to imagine telling him he’d lost the baby of the family in their own home.

“We told him we were playing hide and seek earlier and he’s still hiding,” Michael shrugged.

“He was being annoying. It was Mikey’s idea to make him go away,” Luke gestured a chubby thumb behind him to his older brother.

“It always works,” Michael shrugged, placing his book down on the couch, careful to save his page. “Gabriel is a surprisingly good hider for his age.”

“Fuck,” Cas exhaled, only to see Luke’s face light up and Mike’s take on a disapproving stare.

“That’s a bad word,” Michael’s eyes narrowed and Cas wished he could run and hide for the rest of the day.

His phone buzzed again in his pocket, probably another text from Dean. He sighed, knowing he couldn’t answer until he had all three Milton kids accounted for.

“Can we all team up to find Gabe?” Cas asked, looking hopeful. “Like a game.”

That sparked the two competitive brothers’ interests.

“What kind of game?” Michael asked skeptically.

“And what does the winner get?” Luke clasped his hands in front of him, a tight-lipped smile emerging on his face.

“Winner gets an extra fifteen minutes of TV time after dinner tonight,” Cas offered. He’d planned an early dinner anyway, but the boys likely wouldn’t realize they weren’t really getting anything out of the deal.

“Fifteen whole minutes?” Mike looked to his brother before flashing him a knowing smile. “Easy.”

The boys set off running around the house, calling for their brother and checking the usual hiding places. Cas took the brief moment of peace to check his phone.

**4 New Messages**

**Weather Alert: Isolated T-Storm Warning Until 6 PM.**

**Dean: Rain started up. I’m off shift early.**

**Dean: You still babysitting?**

**Dean: Helloooooooooooo**

Cas hadn’t even noticed the thunder or the sounds of rain outside. There goes the park, he sighed as he tapped out a quick reply, placing his phone on top of a hamper to his left.

He heard the faint sound of little footsteps stomping up and down the stairs across the house as the older boys shouted in search of their brother. Then he heard a small yawn followed by a giggle, right next to him. The hamper shook.

“Hm,” Cas hummed out loud, eliciting another shushed squeal. “I wish I could find Gabey. I sure do miss him.”

He rest an arm on the back of the hamper tipping it ever-so-slightly back.

“Cassie!” the blonde boy sprung from the hamper, all flailing limbs and wild hair. “here I am!”

“Here you are!” Cas smiled, picking up the small child and lifting him onto his shoulders. He couldn’t even lie, the smallest Milton had easily stole his heart with is wide eyes and curious disposition. “You scared me there, buddy. Why didn’t you come out?”

“I was winning,” the little boy said patiently from his perch, twisting his hands in Cas’ black hair. “But then I falled asleep.”

“You fell asleep, Gabe,” Cas corrected, fighting a smile.

“That’s what I said.”

“Fair enough,” Cas laughed to himself. “Now let’s call those two knuckleheads back so we can have our snack, huh?”

“Heehee. Knuckleheads,” the little one laughed and started to sing to himself. “They is Knuckleheads.”

“They are knuckleheads, Gabe,” Cas chided.

“That’s what I said.”

The two older boys came quickly after Cas called him, pushing one another to be the first through the doorway into the living room.

“I’m still gonna find him first and yo—oh!” Michael shuffled his feet when he realized Gabe had already been found.

“Looks like I win,” Cas teased. “Does that mean bedtime is fifteen minutes earlier?”

A three part harmony of “No! Please! Not Fair!” came from the three boys and Cas held up his hands in a mock defense gesture before pulling Gabriel off his shoulders.

“How about I go in the kitchen and set up your fruit cups and you three decide on a board game we can play?”

The boys nodded, thankful Cas was just kidding about the early bedtime. The three boys did really love having their cousin babysit them. Cas, though he was occasionally stern, was just the right mix of friendly and fun for the rowdy Milton boys.

Not long after Cas rounded the corner and started spooning bits of melon and grapes into the boy’s mugs, he heard a high pitched squeal that devolved into a violent fit of giggles.

“Ca-haha-ssieeeheehee!”

The sound of his name sent him into the next room, socked feet padding on the plush carpet.

He found the two older Miltons hovering over the smaller one right in front of the door where he’d left them. Lucifer crouched over his belly, blowing gentle raspberries into his skin while Michael had his tiny ankles hooked through one of his arms while the other hand danced across his bare feet. Gabriel wailed, his hands clenching into tiny fists that pounded into the carpet.

“Boys,” Cas gave a warning look as the little boy’s face turned bright pink. “I thought I said to pick a game.”

“This is the game,” Michael gave Lucifer a look and the other boy eased off their little brother.

“Your turn!” Luke and Mike immediately reached for Cas’ knees, the perfect storm of prepubescent force combined with the element of surprise was enough to knock the wiry young man off his feet.

“What the—“ Cas hit the carpeted floor with an “oof!” He held back a breath when a handful of small fingers wormed into his side. “Ah!”

The two boys immediately set to work scrabbling their little fingers in any of the ticklish spots they could reach, figuring they needed to work quickly before their sitter could regain control. The problem was, Cas was the sort of hyper ticklish individual who only became weaker as the tickling went on.

“Wah-hay-hayyt! Boys please!”

Cas fought to squirm away without struggling too hard and hurting one of his small attackers. It didn’t help that Gabriel, now fully recovered from his own tickle attack, had toddled over and start wiggling his fingers at Cas’ socked feet. It didn’t tickle too intensely, the toddler was hardly a skilled tickler but the light wiggling that he couldn’t squirm away from for fear of injuring his little cousin was a bit maddening. Michael and Lucifer had the older sibling advantage and caused a bit more damage, zeroing in on Cas’ sensitive ribs and knees.

The doorbell sounded and Cas could’ve cried with relief at the sound. A scrabble along his bottom rib made him yelp loud enough that the door opened, revealing a concerned looking Dean.

“Cas?” Dean’s worry vanished quickly and the taller boy fought back a smile when he saw his boyfriend flat on his back, giggling uneasily under a pile of children. The two main offenders hovered over their cousin with wide eyes, not sure what his tall, intimidating boyfriend was going to do.

“Dean! Dean! Dean!” Gabriel moved from Cas’ feet and danced around the older boy who was still in his lifeguard uniform –red shorts and a white tank top with GUARD written across the chest. “We made Cassie laugh, but then I think we made Cassie cry.”

“You did, huh?” Dean crouched down to pat the little boy’s head and he giggled.

Cas had taken the momentary pause from the boys and the distraction of Dean as a chance to take in gulps of air and to start to stand up. 

“Boys, I’m disappointed,“ Dean’s tone was grave and authoritative as he stepped past them, kneeling by Cas. The boys were sure they were going to get yelled at, sent to bed 30 minutes early instead of 15. “You didn’t even get his worst spot.”

Smiles quickly returned to the three little faces.

“D-dean!” Cas sputtered as his boyfriend quickly tugged his wrists up over his head, tucking them under his knees. Cas tried to look into his big green eyes and beg him not to do what he was planning.

“’Ello darlin’,” Dean gave a wolfish grin, dipping to kiss the tip of his nose before waving the boys over. Cas pulled against Dean’s grip, knowing exactly where this was heading.

“Come on, we were going to have our fruit cups and get fif-fifteen more minutes of TV t-time?” Cas nervously tried to redirect their attention, but Dean was quickly instructing all of the boys on the proper way to make their hands into tickle claws before two large hands and several smaller ones launched at his sensitive underarms. 

“No-no-nohohoho!”

Cas bellowed, a deep sound that quickly moved into a higher register as more aggressive bursts of laughter found their way out. He moved his head from side to side, desperate to block the attack. He couldn’t think straight, he could only feel the constant tickle in the sensitive hollows of skin.

When he opened his eyes, he could just see Dean looking down at him with that sexy, adoring smile. If he wasn’t red from laughter, he was sure he’d blush.

“Sh. Boys give it a rest,” Dean had them pull back and Cas looked up teary eyed, the hint of a smile still on his lips. “Had enough, tiger?”

“Traitor,” Cas muttered as Dean pressed a gentle kiss to his lips before finally letting go of his wrists. He stayed in a heap on the floor for a few more seconds to try to regain his composure. In that time Gabe had saddled up to his side to rest a sleepy head on his shoulder, thumb tucked securely in his mouth.

“I’ll make it up to you,” Dean winked, turning to the other boys who had triumphantly sat back on their knees, high-fiving one another. “I’ll get you some well-deserved revenge.”

With a swift motion, the more muscular man was able to open his wing span and attack both boys with quick hands.

“No! Dean! Ahahaha!” The two squealed as he held them both to the floor with his high-speed wiggling fingers. 

“Ca-hahas! Help! ” Lucifer called.

“We’re sorry!” Michael’s cheeks quickly turned pink.

“I’ll help you because I’m the best cousin ever,” Cas teased before he scooped up Gabriel, holding the dozing child on his hip. “But, first, I’m going to go put your brother somewhere comfortable to nap.”

The peals of laughter echoed down the hall and up the stairs to Gabe’s bedroom. Dean was able to get both Michael and Lucifer good without much trouble. Cas couldn’t help but find something sweet and angelic about the boys laughter.

“S’not bedtime yet,” Gabe grumbled, half to himself and half to Cas as he tucked a plush blanket around the boy’s chin.

“No it’s not. But it can be naptime. At least for a little while, alright kiddo?” Cas brushed his hair out of his face as his eyes grew heavier and heavier. “I’ll come get you for dinner, okay?”

“Kay,” Cas reached over and turned off the boy’s lamp and flick on his Moose nightlight. Gabe popped a thumb back into his mouth.

“Cassie?” he spoke softly and kind of garbled around the finger.

“Yes, Gabey?”

“I like Dean. He’s the bestest.”

“I like Dean too, buddy,” He smiled. “He is the bestest.”


End file.
